What Is the Role of a Teacher?

The Duties and Objectives of Elementary School Teachers

by Janelle Cox
The role of a teacher is to use classroom instruction and presentations to help students
learn and apply concepts such as math, English, and science. Teachers prepare lessons, grade
papers, manage the classroom, meet with parents, and work closely with school staff.
However, being a teacher is much more than just executing lesson plans. In today's
world, teaching is a multifaceted profession; teachers often carry the roles of a surrogate parent,
class disciplinarian, mentor, counselor, bookkeeper, role model, planner, and many other related
roles. Elementary school teachers play an important role in the development of students. What
students learn in their formative years can shape the men and women they will become.
The Third Parent
The role of a teacher is clearly more than just planning and executing lesson plans. In some
senses, because the teacher spends so much time with the students, she or he can become the
student's third parent. Teachers can be a constant positive role model for their students,
particularly for children that lack a solid family foundation. Of course, the teacher's role as a
semi-parent depends to a large extent on the age and grade of the children they teach. The
kindergarten teacher develops basic skills in her children that are necessary to excel and progress
to the next year, while a teacher in the intermediate grades teaches specific information about a
particular subject.
Teacher's Role in Today's World
Teachers' roles today are considerably different than they used to be. Teachers were once issued
a specific curriculum to teach, and a set of instructions on how to teach it, using the same
methods for all students. In today's world, a teacher's role is quite multifaceted. Their job is to
counsel students, help them learn how to use their knowledge and integrate it into their lives so
they will become valuable members of society. Teachers are encouraged to adapt learning
methods to each individual student's learning, to challenge and inspire them to learn.
The modern teaching profession is also about taking on broader roles to promote education.
Teachers often:
1. Work with politicians, colleagues, and community members to set clear and obtainable
standards for their students;
2. Participate in the decision making that helps to deal with the problems that affect the
students' learning;
3. Mentor new teachers to prepare them to teach the youth of today.

Teachers Duties
Duties of elementary school teachers include:

 Planning lessons that teach specific subjects, such as math, science, and English;
 Teaching lessons in whole-group or small-group configurations;
 Assessing and evaluating student's abilities, strengths, and weaknesses;
 Preparing students for standardized tests;
  Communicating student progress to parents;
 Supervising children in extracurricular activities.

Teacher Standards
In the United States, standards for teachers are set by state and federal law and supported
by state and national teacher organizations such as the National Education Association and
the American Federation of Teachers. In addition to regularly scheduled parent-teacher
conferences and open-houses, many schools have parent-teacher organizations, in which parents
have an opportunity to discuss their concerns about the roles of teachers in schools today.

www.Thought.com, December 24, 2018.

Vocabulary:

Multifaceted= means having a variety of different and important features or elements.

Surogate= describe a person or thing that is given a particular role because the person or
thing that should have the role is not available.
Intermediate= being, situated, or acting between two points, stages, things, persons.
Extracurricular= are activities for students that are not part of their course.
Conference= an event, sometimes lasting a few days, at which there is a group of talks
on a particular subject, or a meeting in which especially business matters are
discussed formally.
Open-houses= a day when an organization such as a school, college, or factory allows
members of the public to go in and see what happens there

Summary:

This text talks about the role of a teacher, about how teachers job is to counsel
students, help them learn how to use their knowledge and integrate it into their lives so
they will become valuable members of society.
In conclusion, the article is about how teachers are involved in their work, not just that
they are teachers and that’s that, they are more, teachers often carry the roles of a
surrogate parent, class disciplinarian, mentor, counselor, bookkeeper, role model,
planner, and many other related roles, in short, the article talks about that the teaching is
a multifaceted profession;

Answer the following questions:

1. What say this article about the teaching profession?

2. What roles do teachers often wear?

3. Which are the duties of a teacher?

4. Who set the standard for teachers?

 5. How can teachers and parents communicate?

Fill in the gaps:

1. In today's world, teaching is a ………………… profession.

2. What students learn in their formative years can ………… the men and women they will
become.
3. Teachers can be a constant …………. ………. model for their students, particularly for
children that lack a solid family foundation.

4. Teachers are encouraged to adapt learning methods to each ……………. student's

learning, to challenge and inspire them to learn

5. In addition to regularly scheduled parent-teacher ………………. and ……………..,

many schools have parent-teacher organizations.